Probiotics contain live bacteria and represent an important part of the complex world of foods that are good for health. It is the bacteria and the metabolites which they produce that give these products their health promoting properties. The best known example of a probiotic is yogurt. The experimental data for yogurt is still not as conclusive as one would like, however, human studies related to the consumption of dietary milk products show increased milk digestibility, quicker recovery from certain types of diarrhea, enhanced immune function, relation in certain cancers, and possible lowering of blood cholesterol levels.
Bacteria found in products like yogurt, kefir or fermented vegetables usually aren't found in the human intestine. In fact, the intestinal environment is often a hostile one for these foreign bacteria. Because of this, bacteria eaten in probiotic products don't colonise the intestine but are flushed through and eliminated from the body.
The bacteria living in the intestine make up a very large and very diverse population. The numbers of each kind of bacteria change depending on age, diet, health status, and use of drugs and supplements. The effects are linked to the ability of the bacteria to adhere to the intestinal wall and use the semi-digested food that is passing through the intestines. It is not surprising to have found that the bacterial population in the intestines of vegetarians is much different compared to that of meat eaters. Because some bacteria have specific nutrient requirements, it has been proposed that adding these particular foods or nutrients to the diet could be a way of increasing the numbers of specific bacteria. Such additives are called “prebiotics”. Thus, to be effective, prebiotics must escape digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract and be used by a limited number of the microorganisms comprising the colonic microflora. In the large intestine, prebiotics are converted into short-chain fatty acids like capronic or caprylic acid. Said acids are used by the human body as an energy source. Besides this, the short-chain acids are known to inhibit inflammation of the intestine, which represents a kind of cancer prophylaxis. In addition, prebiotics increase the resorption time in the intestine which leads to an improved uptake of minerals. Typical examples for well-known prebiotics are oligosaccharides, e.g. in 1995, Gibson et al. found that oligofructose and inulin, when fed to humans, selectively stimulated the growth of bifidobacteria without influencing the numbers of lactobacillus. Since prebiotics mainly stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria, they also are referred to as bifidogenetic factors.
Although various types of prebiotics are known from the literature and can be found in the market, there is still an increasing need for more active alternatives or additives which support the various activities of existing products in a synergistic manner. Therefore, the object of the present invention has been to provide a new system of prebiotic compounds, which shows a synergistic stimulation of the growth of healthy bacteria, preferably bifido and lactic bacteria both, and improves the health status of the human body.